Colorado Home Safe Partnership Continues to Make Great Strides in Promoting Safety and Health Among Home Builders in Colorado

Background:

On September 27, 2005, OSHA's Region VIII Denver and Englewood Area Offices formed an OSHA Strategic Partnership (OSP) with the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver (the Association) to facilitate the goal of reducing occupational-related fatalities and serious injuries in the residential construction industry in Colorado. As of September 2008, 30 of the Association's members were participating in the OSP.

Success Impact:

Safety and Health Culture Enhanced

To further the OSP's efforts of reducing and/or eliminating hazards and recognizing the value of cooperative, focused, and voluntary efforts to ensure safe and healthful work environments, the Association developed the Home Safe Colorado Ten-Point List: A Guide to Safe Work Practices. The list is utilized by all participants to assist them in identifying and abating hazards, as well as preventing hazards through increased safety and health training. As outlined in the OSP agreement, all participants perform the following objectives:

Develop and implement an effective safety and health management system (SHMS) based upon the material in the Ten-Point Home Safe Booklet,

Make adjustments to their work practices to conform to the Home Safe Program,

Report accidents to the Home Builders Association Job Safety Committee,

Apply for Master Builder Status, and

Submit to audits performed by the Home Safety Committee and OSHA.

All of the participants have met their OSP responsibilities with their compliance with the 10-point jobsite booklet. Among the safety and health activities listed in the jobsite booklet additional examples include: conducting monthly jobsite training sessions, ensuring subcontractors are following the builder's SHMS, and requiring designated safety persons to conduct and document regular safety and health inspections during all projects.

At the end of the most recent evaluation period, four OSP participants successfully implemented effective SHMS which met or exceeded the OSHA 1989 Guidelines and helped them attain Master Builder status. Of the remaining 26 builders, 17 are in the process of improving their SHMS in order to obtain Master Builder status, and the remaining nine are in the process of developing their SHMS.

Continued Successes of Home Safe Colorado Partnership Maintain Injury and Illness Rates Below the National Industry Average

As a result of the participants incorporating various SHMS requirements outlined in the 10-point booklet and increasing bilingual safety and health training among the participants' employees, managers and supervisors, the OSP maintained its aggregate injury and illness rates below the 2006 Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) national average for the Residential Construction industry (NAICS 236). Below is a table comparing the aggregate rates for the first two years of the OSP with their respective industry average:

TCIR

DART

Year 1: 2006

1.2

0.9

Year 2: 2007

2.4

1.5

BLS Industry National Average for Most
Recent Year (2006)

5.1

2.6

Safety and Health Training is a Key Focus

Increasing safety and health training among the employees of the participants is a key focus of this OSP. During the most recent evaluation period, 178 managers and supervisors received training through 10-Hour OSHA Certification Class program. Several OSP participants volunteered to serve as instructors which helped to leverage resources and increase the number of times the course is offered, as well as the number of employees trained. In addition to the OSHA 10-hour training course, participants reported 5,810 tailgate meetings conducted in English and Spanish. Finally, 2,842 employees received safety orientation prior to starting any work.

In addition to the increased safety and health training, the OSP continued its communication and outreach efforts by creating an OSHA 10-Hour Training DVD and CD. It will be available in both English and Spanish and also will be accessible for the hearing impaired.

Partnership Objectives:

The key objectives of this OSP are to promote safety and health for all staff at Home Safe Master Builder construction sites in Colorado. Specific goals of the OSP are to:

Maintain injury and illness rates below the BLS national average for each participant's three-digit NAICS code and maintain the weighted average rate for all participants at least 10 percent below the corresponding national average.

Increase the percentage of the participants' supervisors and subcontractors receiving appropriate safety training for both English- and Spanish-speaking employees.

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